Green Agenda

We work to make Jackson Heights the greenest neighborhood in NYC. By green we mean more than a place that’s attractive and pleasant. It’s also a place that’s environmentally sustainable: using fewer of the Earth’s resources; causing less damage to air and water; and not contributing to global warming. We also seek a greener place for everyone in Jackson Heights, regardless of income, ethnicity and age. It’s a big job; we need your help.

Why we launched The Green Agenda for Jackson Heights:
Though Jackson Heights was planned as a green community for the early 20th Century, continuing development left it as one of the city’s most park-deprived places. A community planning process seemed the best way to dramatize this issue and to look at
other environmental concerns.

What we’ve accomplished:
* Brought more than 400 people to 16 meetings that were held in three languages, to produce a plan for a greener Jackson Heights.
* Worked with Queens Community House and Pratt Center for Community Development, with funding from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to produce The Green Agenda for Jackson Heights plan in 2010.
* Successfully advocated for open space, helping create the 78th Street Playstreet/Pedestrian Plaza and the expected city purchase of the Garden School athletic field.
* Hold workshops in tree care, composting and waste reduction, including electronics recycling and free Stop & Swap programs.
* Provide ongoing tree care and pruning to make our streets greener and cooler.
* Launching a community-composting center at 69th Street and 35th Avenue, under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
* Greening overlooked public spaces, such as 69th Street along BQE, and street-tree pits.
* Advocated for pedestrian plazas, and more and better environmentally safe transportation, such as transit, bicycle and foot.
* Still ahead: White roofs and green roofs.